Collapsible container



Oct. 10, 1944. GLANTZER 2,359,908

COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Filed Sept. 3, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v W INVENTOR. BY W% flTTORNE Y.

Oct. 10, 1944. R. M. GLANTZER 2,359,908

' COLLAPSIBLE} CONTAINER v Filed Sept. 5, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

A r TOP/V5 Y.

Patented Got. 10, 1944 COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Russell M. Glantzer, Washington, Pa., assignor to Tri-State Engineering 00., Washington, Pa., 2. I corporation of Maryland Application-September 3, 1943, Serial No. 501,085

3 Claims. 01. 2 20-7) My invention relates to collapsible containers which are particularly suitable as shipping con-' tainers for small parcels, a number of which can be placed within the container for shipment after which the container may be folded or collapsed, for storing or for return to a factory or shipping point for reuse. The container may of course be used for various other purposes, such as clothes hampers, display bins, etc.

One object of my invention is to provide a collapsible container which is of light weight, and which will nevertheless have suflicient rigidity and strength to support and protect articles packed therein.

Another object of my invention is to provide a container of the character referred to which can g easily be manipulated to fasten the parts thereof rigidly in position to receive and transport articles of various kinds and which may easily be folded or collapsed after opening, thereof and removal of contents therefrom.

7 Some of the forms which my invention may take are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of the container with the parts expanded and locked together; Fig. 2 is a side view thereof; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing an end closure or lid in partly opened condition; Fig. 4 shows the container with various parts thereof folded on one another and partly collapsed; Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a modification of the fastening device of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a sectional view thereof, taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 5; Fig. '7 is a View taken on the line VII-VII of Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a plan view showing another manner in which the parts of the container may be held in expanded position and locked, and Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the structure of Fig. 8.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4, the container comprises four vertical panels Ill which can suitably be of welded wire mesh of perhaps Q-gauge or 10-gauge wires. The panels are connected together at the vertical corners of the container by helical wires II which may be placed in position by a screwing or turning action wherein the helical turns are caused to embrace the adjacent marginal wires of two panels, the upper end of each helical wire H being then given a few close turns around the upper marginal wire of one of thepanels, as indicated at 12 (Figs. 1 and 8), to anchor the helical wire against accidental turning movement after the parts are assembled.

The ends of the container have closure members which also are of mesh form. For convenience of description these end closures will be referred to as top and bottom members, though it will be understood that whichever end of the container happens to be uppermost can be termed the top. The closure members at the ends of the receptacle are in the form of narrow panels, the bottom panel members being indicated by the numerals l4 and I5 (Fig. 4) that are hingedly connected to opposite side panels by helical wires I 6 (only partly shown in Fig. 4). The fastenings for holding these panels l4 and I5 in closed position are not shown on the drawings, but are identical with the fastenings for the top closure'members l8 and I9 that are hereinafter described.

The top panels I8l9 are pivotally connected at their outer edges to the top wires of the adj acent side panels, by helical wires 20 and 2|, respectively (only partly shown in Fig. 4). The cover panel member I 9 is connected to a plate 22 by having bends 23 formed in certain of its wires and projecting outwardly through holes in the plate. A rod 24 is inserted between these bends and the'upper face of the plate to connect the members firmly together. The plate 22 has formed thereon or welded thereto a pair of knuckles 25.

The cover member I8 has secured thereto a plate 26. the connection being made by having bends 21 formed in the mesh panel I8 and extending through holes in the plate, the parts being fastened inassembled relation by a retaining rod or Wire 28, as. in the case of the plate 22 and the panel l9. The plate 26 has two pairs of knuckles 3 D and 3| in which a shaft or looking bar32 is slidable for locking movement. A combined handle and latching bar 33 is pivotally mounted on the shaft 32. The plate 26 is also provided with holes through which the knuckles 25 will project when the lid is closed. When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the cover panels [8 and I9 are held in closed position by the locking bar 32, the bar having fingers or projections 35 thatextend into the knuckles 25 and having projections 36 and 31 that extend into loops, or eyes 38 which are welded to the adjacent side panels as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. At this time the bent end 39 of the lever 33 has snap ngagement with one of the strands in the panel l8, to hold it inreleasable folded-down position. Should the bar 33 become accidentally raised such distance that its bent end 39 becomes disengaged from the mesh panel l8, one of the bends 21, at 21a (Fig. 1), will serve as a stop to prevent it and the bar 32 from being accidentally slid such distance as to disengage the bar fromsthe knuckles 25 and eyes 38, since th 1ever bar 33 cannot be slid past 21a until it is raised to approximately vertical position.

In order to open the container the handle 39 will be unlatched and pushed edgewise, to slide the shaft or looking bar 32 in its knuckles 30 and 3|, 'an'd'thus move its projections or fingers 35,

36 and 31 out of the knuckles 25 and the eyes 38. These cover members l8 and l 9 may then be swung back on their hinges 20 and 2| to thereby open the receptacle. 'If it'is desired to collapse the receptacle the closure members I4 and I5 at the opposit end thereof will b unfastened in a similar manner and folded back.

When the ends of the receptacle are'closed and fastened as above described, the cover members, by reason of the stifiening plates 22 and 26 and "otally connected thereto but held by stop elethe locking rod 32, together with the anchorage of the ends f the rod to the eyes 38, brace the receptacle rigidly in rectangular or expanded position', against stresses of handling or shipping. 4

and will effectively protect the contents thereof against damage.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 I show a somewhat different latching arrangement for the bar 33a that corresponds to the bar 33 of Fig. 1,. In this instance the bar 33a is bent outwardly and backwardly at for engagement with a keeper 52 that is slidably supported on wires 53 of the closure panel I8. I

When closing the receptacle the keeper 52 will be slid as far to the left as possible, as viewed in Fig. 5, thereupon the lever 33 is depressed to bring its hook 5l below the keeper. This depression is possible because there will be some inherent spring or resiliency of the parts. The keeper then is slid to the right to move it past the hook and into position overlying the lever 33a whereupon the lever will be allowed to spring up and the keeper slid back into the hook 51, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. V

Referring now to Figs. 8 and 9, I show an arrangement wherein the'side panels are connected together and to the top and bottom panels in the same manner as in the structure of Figs. 1 to 4. In this instance, however, the closure panels or members are fastened closed in a different manner, the bottom closure member being seccured in closed position by a bar 4| that is shown only fragmentarily, and the top panels 42 and 43 are fastened closed by a bar 44 that extends transversely of the bar 4|. Here, as in the other form, the closure members are fastened in like manner to one another and description of the top fastening will apply'also to the lower fasmerits thereon against movement longitudinally thereof; whereby the handle can be pushed sidewise to shift-the bar longitudinally, when the handle is raised, and means for releasably holding the handle folded against the said end closure. 1

.2. A collapsible container comprising side panels hingedly connected in unitary relation at the corners of the container, an end closure therefor comprising a pair of panel elements that are respectively hingedly connected at their outer edges to two oppositely disposed side panels, outwardly-projecting knuckles on one of the panel elements, adjacent to the inner edge thereof and positioned to extend through perforations in the other panel element, when those areas of the panel elements near their inner edges are brought into overlapping relation upon closing of the said elements, a locking bar carried by the second named panel element and slidable longitudinally of its inner edge, fingers on the bar positioned to be slid into and out of the said knuckles, through sliding movements of the looking bar when the panel elements are overlapped, a handle'extending laterally of the bar and pivotally connected thereto'but held by stop elements thereon against movement longitudinally thereof, whereby the handle can be pushed sidewiseto shift the bar longitudinally, when the handle is raised, means for releasably holding the handle folded against the said end, and means preventing sidewise movement of the handle when in its folded position.

, 3. A collapsible container comprising side panels hingedly connected in unitary relation at the corners of the container, an end closure therei for comprising a pair of panel elements that are tening. The inner edges of the panel members 42 have portions of their wires deflected or bent downwardly as shown at 45- (Fig. 9) and the other panel has portions of its wires deflected upwardly as at 46, the bends 45 and 46 being off-'- s'et relative to one another in directions longitudinally of the bar so that the bends 45 can pass through the panel 43 and the bends 46 pass through the panel 42, whereupon the bar 44 can be inserted betweenthe bends to hold the inner edges of these panels 42 and 43 firmly together. The ends of the bar 44willbe passed under the uppermost or marginal wires 48 and 49 of the side panels, for more effective fastening or looking of the members 4243 in closed position.

I claim as my invention: 1. A collapsible container comprising side pan els hingedly connected in unitary relation at'the corners of the container,v an end closure therefor comprising a pair of panel elementsthat are respectively hingedly connected at their. outer edges to two oppositely disposed side panels, outwardly-projecting knuckles on. oneof the, panel elements, adjacent to the inner edge thereof and positioned to extend through perforations in the other panel element, when those areas of the anel elements near their inner edges are respectively hingedly connected at their outer edges totwo oppositely disposed side panels, outwardly-projecting knuckles on one of the panel elements, adjacent to the inner edge thereof and positioned to extend through perforations in the other panel element when those areas of the panel elements near their inner edges are brought into overlapping relation upon closing of the said elements, upstanding ears on the sides of the container which are adjacent to the ends of the panel elements, in position to extend through perforations in the panel elements when they are brought into overlapping relation at their inner edges, a locking bar carried by the second named panel element and slidable longitudinally thereof, fingers on the bar and extension on the ends thereof, positioned to be slid into and out of the knuckles and ears, respectively, through sliding movements of the locking bar when the panels are overlapped at their inner edges, a handle extending laterally of the bar and pivotally connected thereto but held by stop elements. thereon against movement longitudinally thereof, whereby the handle can be pushed sidewise to shift the bar longitudinally,

when. the handle is raised, and means for releas'ably' holding the handle folded against the said end.

' RUSSELL M. GLANTZER. 

